Play yo’ part August 4, 2008

Last week I talked about ING and a newsletter I got from them, specifically about how it contained only a small amount of information I was actually interested in and a big chunk of stuff I didn’t want to know about. Like an eager kid banging at my door to tell me about their day, once I’ve gotten a “No” to my question of “Did anything bad happen?” I have what I need to know.

When brands step outside the zone they have asked permission to occupy (those that are smart enough to get permission anyway), they’re jumping the shark, they’re stepping into territory where they don’t have credibility, and all the onlookers can do is sigh and roll their eyes.

In the same way the web has allowed the proliferation of niches, it means brands are afforded smaller and smaller spaces to occupy in our lives. What they need to work on is owning that niche, becoming a credible and trusted source. Once they have that down, they can expand – carefully. The move for ING from savings account bank to home loan bank isn’t a huge step for anyone to make; when they start talking about dolphins, this is where I lose interest.

Know your role, and play your part. Meet expectations consistently and you’ll be afforded the platform to grow, one piece at a time.

Tomorrow I’m going to look at how expectations support a brand and tie into the customer’s willingness to pay.